Research

Blue-gloved hand holding a microtube above a white rack of capped tubes on a lab bench

A Century of California Wine Yeast, Reunited

Viticulture and Enology

UC Davis Awarded Funding to Merge the Viticulture & Enology Wine Microbe Collection with the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection

For more than sixty years, two of the most important libraries of California microbiology have lived in separate departments on the UC Davis campus. Now, thanks to a grant from the American Vineyard Foundation and Washington Wine Commission, they're (re)uniting.

Kasey Schalich in lab coat at glovebox isolator in a research laboratory

UC Davis Postdoctoral Researcher Receives NIH F32 Fellowship to Study How Milk Components May Influence Cognition Through the Gut Microbiome

Food Science and Technology
UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology postdoctoral researcher Dr. Kasey Schalich has been awarded an NIH F32 fellowship to investigate how a bioactive component of milk may influence cognitive development through the gut microbiome-brain axis. The project, “A bioactive milk component promotes cognition through the gut microbiome-brain axis,” will examine how milk-derived glycoconjugates interact with beneficial gut bacteria and whether these interactions increase the availability of sialic acid, a molecule important for neurodevelopment.
Yeasts in the UCDVEN and UCDFST collections are used in research labs at UC Davis, other universities, companies, and government agencies for basic science discoveries, and to develop new products such as food ingredients, chemicals, and consumer products. These yeast cultures in Erlenmeyer flasks are being grown in an incubator in the Boundy-Mills research lab to develop new food ingredients. Photo: Kyria Boundy-Mills

A Century of California Wine Yeast, Reunited

Food Science and Technology
UC Davis Awarded Funding to Merge the Viticulture & Enology Wine Microbe Collection with the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection

For more than sixty years, two of the most important libraries of California microbiology have lived in separate departments on the UC Davis campus. Now, thanks to a grant from the American Vineyard Foundation and Washington State Wine Commission, they're (re)uniting.

Assorted colorful snack chip bags lined on a grocery store shelf

That Avocado Oil Chip You’re Eating May Not Be Made With Pure Avocado Oil

Food Science and Technology
If you've been reaching for chips, mayonnaise or salad dressing labeled "made with avocado oil," there's a good chance the oil inside isn't pure avocado oil, despite it being the only listed oil ingredient. University of California, Davis, researchers tested processed foods marketed as containing avocado oil. They found 48 of the 54 avocado oil-labeled products were adulterated with cheaper oils. The study was published in Applied Food Research.
Smiling woman pointing at a large academic poster on a hallway wall

Sheryl Long wins NCIFT grad student poster competition

Food Science and Technology

Sheryl Long, a Ph.D. student co-advised by Drs. Luxin Wang and Erin DiCaprio, won the graduate student poster competition organized by the Northern California Section of the Institute of Food Technologists. Her research, titled “Survival of Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli in Hydroponic Nutrient Solution,” assessed the behavior of common foodborne pathogens in fresh and recirculating nutrient solutions and provided scientific data for the risk assessment of fresh produce cultivated in controlled environment agriculture. 

A person's hands form a heart shape over their stomach, wearing a gray top.

What is Gut Health?

Food Science and Technology
Beyond the Hype: Experts Agree on a Clear Meaning for the Term

Walk down the aisles of many grocery stores and you’re liable to see claims about products that are “good for gut health,” from yogurt and kombucha to supplements and even sodas. But despite its popularity, the phrase can mean different things to different people and lacks a shared scientific definition.

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